Apr 30, 2013

Chicken tenders are simmered in salsa verde with cumin and spices for the easiest chicken ever!

Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner, which always gets me excited, I LOVE Mexican food! While I was shopping at Target the other day, I picked up a jar of Archer Farm's Roasted Salsa Verde with no real plans on what to do with it.

My slow cooker is always sitting on my counter staring at me, so I figured let's see what happens when you cook chicken with salsa verde.
Two hours later, what emerged was a delicious aroma and tender chicken. That night I made chicken tostadas for dinner, but I know this would be wonderful so many ways; over rice, in tacos, as a filling for enchiladas, whatever! Tomorrow I am posting my chicken verde tostada recipe, but for today I'm just posting the chicken so you can use it any way you wish.

And since so many are asking, I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it's done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This crock pot is so great, I actually own two!

By the way, I have so many Mexican recipes, I created an entire Skinny Cinco De Mayo Pinterest Board with all the recipes to quickly browse if you are a visual person like me. Enjoy!!

Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, cumin and salt and place in
the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde, cover and cook
HIGH 2 hours.

Remove chicken, shred with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and discard (unless you want it over rice). Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot with remaining salsa, adjust seasoning to taste if needed and keep warm.

This looks yummy!! I would prepare this before going to work, would I set the crock pot on low (6-8hrs) so its ready when I get home? I am new to using a crock pot and want to make sure the chicken & salsa would be ok for this amount of time!Thank you!!

I just made the recipe tonight and it was perfectly cooked after two hours on high. I bought chicken breasts instead of tenders and cut them in quarters before cooking because they were so thick. If I had left them whole then it would have taken longer to cook. Delicious!

I'm on a total Mexican kick these days. Just made your chicken enchiladas, tonight I'm having tacos and I think tostadas are in order as well. Now, if I can keep away from the margaritas then I'll be in good shape ;)I've gotta tighten it up for summer so that I can look good while I drink margaritas in my bathing suit.

I roast the largest chicken I can find for dinner on night one. Then the leftover chicken is used for enchiladas verde on night two. The shredded chicken picked off the carcass is heated in purchased salsa verde.

This doesn't work so well using store-roasted chicken because those chickens are generally smaller and there's too little leftover meat for more than maybe one sandwich. But, I've often gotten enough chicken meat for three different meals from one large home-roasted fresh chicken.

Emma - I've made other Skinnytaste slowcooker recipes on the stove before, but usually those that call for whole chicken breasts, which take about 40-45 minutes to cook. I'd assume chicken tenders cook up much faster though. Gina, what do you think?

I buy frozen chicken tenders and let them defrost in the fridge--usually two days, letting them marinate in whatever during that time frame. Oven at 375, let'em go 25 minutes and they're a perfect 165 internal temp--and juicy.

Just started the crock pot for this recipe a few minutes ago. I used frozen chicken, so I've got concerns on that. As with every recipe I find online, I double the spices... but I don't even have a 1/8 tsp spoon! So I went 1/2 tsp on everything but the garlic powder, 1/4 tsp on that.

Looks delicious! I have to say that MANY of the Archer Farms products are little hidden gems at Target. They tend to be less expensive and of good quality. Thanks for posting this recipe-- I look forward to trying it! :)

Gina - this looks delicious! I have never seen "roasted" salsa verde around here. If I can't find it, would regular salsa verde work? Maybe I could toast it in a frying pan first for a bit (like the tomatos in the salsa roja?)?

Waaah! No slow-cooker in my household...alas! Could I possibly do this in a RICE COOKER? Anyone? This is a perfect skinny solution to satifying Cinco de Mayo fare, and easy to "paleofy" over cauliflower tortillas or riced celery root or cauliflower.Thanks Gina!

Gina, your crockpot recipes are the best. Since I found your website, my poor crockpot has been getting a workout. I'll also second the posts praising the Archer Farms sauces, they're out of this world. Thanks for the great recipes.

I made this last night and it was easiest dinner I ever made. Throw it all together in the crock pot. When my daughters and I came home from soccer practice the whole house smelled wonderful. It was delicious, mouth watering. Thank you for the recipe.

Made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious! This may be an extremely dumb question, but I am a novice when it comes to slow cooking... If I were to double the recipe, do I need to double the cooking time??

This was amazing. My only tip is that if you have hungry teenagers, double the chicken and leave the sauce the same. My family demolished the 1.5 lbs of chicken and a bunch of rice and tortillas. They loved it!

I just had lunch using Target's Archer Farms Vindaloo Simmer Sauce and two chicken breasts in the crock pot on 2 hours on high. It came out really delicious and was inspired by this recipe, I just happened to have the Vindaloo in the cabinet. Used a whole jar and definitely could have done more than 2 breasts, but I wasn't sure how it would come out. The chicken is perfectly pullable, moist and has great Indian-inspired flavor.

The chicken I intended to use went bad so I pulled out a couple frozen tilapia filets. I also used the Salsa Verde from TJs instead. In just under 2 hours it was perfect. Yummy and simple...my favorite.

Awesome recipe. I tried something a bit new with it once it was done. I used 1/4 cup in an egg white omelette. So good with some shredded Jack cheese with fruit for breaky. Point friendly and filling. Thanks!

Made this tonight! It was delicious! We could not find tostada shells despite looking in multiple grocery stores and Target, so just went with regular Ortega taco shells, which were 3 pts for 3. With the verde + shells (and some cabbage slaw mix on top) it was about 6 pts! This was SO easy to make in the crockpot it is def going to be one of our staple recipes. Love it!

Hi, I have made this for my boyfriend and I before and it is delicious! I am hosting a small party this evening (about 10 people) should I just double the recipe? Will it take the same amount of time to cook?

I was surprised to see the cook time only 2 hours on high as opposed to the 4 hours on high I usually see for chicken breasts for shredding. I'm planning to make this for a pot luck lunch so will probably use breasts or more tenders and am just a little nervous that the chicken won't be done and/or won't be tender enough to shred easily. Any recommendations or tips? Thanks!

We made this last night and ended up having to cook on high for almost 4 hrs. I don't know if it was because we used breasts instead of tenders, but we thin cut the breasts and it still almost took 4 hrs...

I made this last night using about 3lbs. of chicken breast. I just cut them in half and doubled the salsa verde. I also cooked it on high for 3 hours instead of 2, and they were perfect. Some pieces were even falling apart as I was removing them from the crock pot.

We made this last night and it was so good! I used Kroger brand salsa verde cuz I rarely get to Target but I think it tasted better than when my friend made it for me using the Target Salsa Verde! I do want to say we had to cook nearly 4 hrs instead of 2, but that could have been my crock pot. Its pretty and pink so I don't mind if it isn't the most efficient ;)

This was so good and so easy - my husband requested it again this week. I am tripling the recipe for those lazy days :)

Your recipes are the best, I can't wait for your book to come out so I can support you. I have made dozens of things from this site and everything has been flavorful and delicious. I love that you don't use a lot of processed foods.

Tried this tonight using Herdez Salsa Verde and chicken breasts. Served atop shredded romaine with seasoned black beans, red onions, cilantro, with some Mexican cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Fantastic! (And under 300 calories for the meal :-) Reminded me of a Chipotle-style salad.

Thanks Gina!Everything went perfectly, and my brother and boyfriend loved it! Totally worth finally getting a crock pot. We had the chicken in tortillas piled high with tomato, lettuce, beans, and a little cheese, and smothered the burritos in leftover sauce. Very awesome!

I've made this for the 2nd time, and my family really enjoys it. I love that it cooks in just 2 hours (I suppose because chicken tenders are skinnier and cook faster). The first time I used the Target brand salsa verde, and this time I used the Herdez brand. Both worked well. I upped the cumin to a full teaspoon in the recipe, and added cilantro at the end. We served ours over rice, with roasted peppers and carrots on the side. So good!

My husband made this for us and declared it was the easiest recipe ever. When I thanked him for making it, he said he didn't actually do anything ;) (those are the kinds of recipes I like!)

We have a super crock pot that cooks everything really fast and since I rely on it while I'm at work, I'm not able to shut it off. I had him add a 1/2 c of chicken broth just so it wouldn't get dried out but otherwise left the recipe as it was. It was soooo good! We used the Herdez brand of salsa and served it on tortillas with cheese, corn, and sour cream. Delicious!

This is one of my favorites! So easy to make and so delicious! I couldn't find regular salsa verde, but my supermarket had an Avocado Verde, so I tried it. Not spicy at all, but creamy and flavorful. My young children loved the chicken with the shredded Mexican cheese, and my husband probably ate 4 tostadas all by himself! The cabbage slaw is super easy and delicious too! Definitely going in the regular rotation.

This is a super easy recipe and it is DELICIOUS! Gina, you are amazing and I am very grateful to you for your recioes. You've helped my family be even more intentional about healthy choices- my husband and I have lost over 160lbs on ww. Your recioes have helped us keep it off for several years! Keep up the great work!

Once again, you deliver a delicious recipe. We've made so many of your recipes and never have been disappointed. It's shocking how good they are and still healthy. I prefer your recipes over a lot of full fat/calorie recipes out there. Thank you so much! Delicious! The kids liked it as well :)

It's in the crockpot now for the 3rd time in a week. I use the chicken to make quesadillas with reduced fat cheddar and jalapenos and serve it with fat free sour cream and your southwestern black bean salad. Hubby is addicted and so am I. Thanks for all your amazing recipes Gina!

Made this today with chicken breasts in the crock pot. I missed the part about removing some of the liquid so they were a little soupy but delicious. I shredded the chicken in the kitchen aid mixer with a beater blade. So quick! Wish I had cabbage but it was great with lettuce and scallions.

I make this all the time! It is delicious and so easy! The first handful of times I could not for the life of me find tostadas anywhere. That turned out to be fine. I found hard taco shells that are 3 for 3 points (I still do OLD WW point system.) I evenly distribute the 1/2 cup serving between shells, add lettuce and a sprinkle of cheese. That is THREE tacos for 6 (old) WW pts! Also good as a dip of sorts w/nacho chips. We are having it tonight. I def. recommend!

I made this tonight, used it to fill burritos for my husband and I. We both thought it was great. I took 1.5 cups of the left overs and mashed it with an avocado, salt, sriracha, and a little lime juice for chicken salad sandwiches tomorrow, and still have enough left over for enchiladas with black beans and green sauce for dinner! Wonderful base recipe!

I made this exactly as the recipe stated and it came out PERFECT! :) Loved it, thanks so much! Chicken was done after 2 hours on high, I shredded it, took out some liquid and put it back in to warm with just a little more fresh salsa and spices to get the flavor back. (After cooking for a while, the spices tend to get muted)

I made this the other day and have been experimenting with different ways of serving it. Today, I mixed 1/2 a cup of the salsa verde chicken with 1/2 cup of black beans and added it to a lettuce wrap. I made some fresh pico de gallo and sliced up a bit of red bell pepper and wrapped it all together! It was absolutely delicious! This will definitely be a staple recipe in my family.

I am a vegetarian so I am always looking for good & easy ways to cook meat for my family of carnivores. I made this as the recipe instructed and served it with white rice. I got told by all that it was too bland. I would recommend adding more of the spices. I served it with a yummy spicy corn and zucchini saute http://www.food.com/recipe/johns-southwest-corn-and-zucchini-with-a-kick-400920 though. .I used the butter; but olive oil would be healthier.

I usually put it on low for 8 hours and it works beautifully. FYI, this recipe works with pork too, I throw trimmed chops in the crock pot with the seasoning and salsa (though I like Hernandez brand personally!) and let 'er go for 8 hours! wonderful over rice or on its own and leftovers are even better!